(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to collating machines and other paper handling devices in which a plurality of bins each contain a stack of papers. Ejection arms with feed heads thereon reciprocate over the bins so that the feed heads move the uppermost sheet in each bin during an ejection stroke, the moved sheets being collected and collated or otherwise processed by other machine elements.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A conventional collator arm feed head has an articulated rubber coated foot with means fixing it at one end of each arm. The arms simultaneously reciprocate through an ejection stroke and a return stroke and the feet are articulated to push uppermost sheets of paper from bins below the arms on the ejection strokes. As a collecting system withdraws uppermost pushed sheets and as arms make return strokes, the relative movement of paper under a foot causes it to pivot. This pivoting causes electrical contacts to indicate that the uppermost sheets of each bin have been collated. As will be described, the conventional feed head is not completely satisfactory.